Yesterday afternoon, a 19-year-old man was stabbed several times near 510 Main St.

Police said the victim, whom they did not identify, was later found at St. Vincent Hospital downtown after the 1:50 p.m. incident. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Police said the stabbing victim was among a group of eight to 10 males causing a commotion as they walked toward the 7-Eleven convenience store on Main Street, across from City Hall. A fistfight began once they got in front of the convenience store, police said.

A police officer assigned to City Hall saw the commotion and hurried toward the group as he radioed for assistance. The males scattered, police said, and one of them was seen holding his side as if in pain as he fled.

Police later stopped on Thomas Street, near Commercial Street, a white Nissan Sentra that some of the males had been seen getting into after the melee. Officers saw blood inside the vehicle, but none of the occupants was injured. Police handcuffed several males at the scene, but did not make any arrests or take anyone into custody. About that time, police learned the stabbing victim had walked into St. Vincent and was in stable condition.

Police converged in the parking lot of the four-story apartment building at 34 Beacon St. They found two cars that had several bullet holes, according to police.

No injuries were reported in the shooting, which occurred about the time neighborhood children were getting home from school.

Alicia Barboza only had one thought as she heard the gunshots.

“My son was coming,” Ms. Barboza said. Her 6-year-old son was on the school bus making its way down Beacon Street. Ms. Barboza said there was no way she was going to go back inside her home with bullets flying across the street if her boy was on that bus. “When it comes to my child, nothing's stopping me.”

Ms. Barboza said she heard seven gunshots, and she told police the shots rang out from the area of an abandoned building set back off Beacon Street. She described seeing the “white lights” of the shots.

“It looked like fireworks,” Ms. Barboza said. “I could hear them shooting and I could see the bus coming.”

Ms. Barboza said it did not appear the shots were aimed at anyone in particular because there was no one around.

Ms. Barboza's sister, Shelly Simpson, also heard the shots.

“I heard the first three,” Ms. Simpson said. “I knew it was gunshots. I yelled to my sister to get back in.”

Other neighbors stood out on porches as police combed through the yards for shell casings. Some said they heard loud noises.

Police also responded to another incident about the same time.

Outside 269 Hamilton St., at Stratfield Street, teenagers who apparently had just gotten out of school were involved in a melee with police that involved pepper spray, one resident said.

Anyone with information about these incidents may send an anonymous text to 274637 beginning with TIPWPD, submit an anonymous message online at www.worcesterma.gov/police, or call the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at (508) 799-8651.

Jacqueline Reis of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.